Rugby

The Wallabies expect more consistency from powerhouse prop Taniela Tupou while Allan Alaalatoa is also available, boosting to their hopes of toppling England in the deciding third Test on Saturday night. After two months out with a calf injury, Tupou’s return was patchy in Australia’s 25-17 second-Test loss in Brisbane. He crashed over for a

11:16 AM BST France displaced South Africa at the top of the world rankings on Monday, while New Zealand slumped to an all-time low of fourth after a stunning northern hemisphere sweep of the major July tests at the weekend. Fourteen months before they host the World Cup, France reached the pinnacle of the rankings

Jun 28, 2022 What a treat we have in store for us this weekend. Every series is alive and headed to a decider after all four northern hemisphere nations bounced back last week, but who’ll come out on top? Can Ireland and Wales make history again to claim their series victory? Can the Wallabies overcome

Queensland outcast Lukhan Salakaia-Loto has answered a SOS from the injury-hit Wallabies, with young Waratahs speedster Mark Nawaqanitawase also called up ahead of the deciding Test against England. Lock/back-rower Salakaia-Loto is in line for a bench role for the crunch match at the SCG on Saturday after being plucked out of club rugby in Brisbane.

8:57 AM BST Lock Maro Itoje has been ruled out of England’s third and decisive test against Australia on Saturday because of concussion. Itoje, 27, suffered a head knock in the Brisbane test and had already been ruled out of the series decider at Sydney Cricket Ground. 1 Related Flanker Sam Underhill has also been

11:00 PM BST England coach Eddie Jones has blasted the state of Test rugby, with the laws of the game again the major talking point after his side’s win over the Wallabies. Australian winger Izaia Perese and Jones’ playmaker Marcus Smith were both given 10-minute sin-bins for what were deemed deliberate knock downs when they

6:21 PM BST Replacement fly-half Gareth Anscombe kicked a late conversion from the touchline as Wales claimed their first ever away victory in South Africa with an error-strewn 13-12 success over a much-changed Springboks at the Free State Stadium on Saturday. Wing Josh Adams crossed for the only try of the game with two minutes

7:31 AM BST The Wallabies have threatened a fairytale comeback despite a raft of fresh injuries, before blowing their chances in a 25-17 rugby Test loss to England in Brisbane. The visitors led 19-0 in the first half but Australia edged to within five points late at Suncorp Stadium, despite four injuries and a yellow

Jul 9, 2022 France had to rally again in the second half to beat Japan for a second successive week as they edged the home team 20-15 in Saturday’s second test in Tokyo. Baptiste Couilloud’s try 10 minutes from time turned an error-strewn contest back in France’s favour after Japan fullback Ryohei Yamanaka had dotted

9:43 AM BST Ireland prevailed 23-12 in a test of high intensity to beat the All Blacks on New Zealand soil for the first time in Dunedin on Saturday, taking full advantage after the hosts had lost Angus Ta’avao to a red card in the first half. Prop Andrew Porter scored two tries and skipper

9:45 AM BST Liam Napier If ever one match sharply shifted the narrative, the All Blacks’ seemingly commanding victory against Ireland at Eden Park was it. That 42-19 result moved the dial from flatlining on pressure-cooker overload to a sense of relief among All Blacks supporters. Now, from a New Zealand perspective at least, that

4:23 AM BST Jordan Petaia will get his chance at fullback but Suliasi Vunivalu has been made to wait for a Wallabies debut after being overlooked to play England in Brisbane’s second Test. Andrew Kellaway’s hamstring injury in training this week and Tom Banks’ broken arm in the first Test defeat of England has allowed

11:23 AM BST The Wallabies’ rotten run with injury to start the Test season has continued, with outside back Andrew Kellaway ruled out of the second Test. But that has opened the door for Dave Rennie to at last put one of his big plans into action, the shifting of Jordan Petaia to fullback. The

The two rugby hemispheres come back together this year July, with several massive series taking place across the globe. Can Ireland win a first Test on New Zealand soil? Will Australia at last end this losing run to England? Can a struggling Wales spring an upset in South Africa? It really is a tantalising few

12:25 PM BST Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has been passed fit to play in the second test of their three-match series against New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday. Sexton was taken off with a suspected concussion during their 42-19 defeat to the All Blacks in the series opener in Auckland last weekend but Ireland assistant

10:03 AM BST England flanker Tom Curry will play no further part in the tour of Australia after suffering a concussion in the series opener in Perth last weekend, the team said on Monday. Curry started at openside flanker in the 30-28 loss to the Wallabies but was withdrawn at halftime and replaced by Lewis

8:24 AM BST The Wallabies will wear a special shirt with an indigenous design and sing the national anthem in the language of the local First Nation’s people ahead of the second Test against England in Brisbane on Saturday. The anthem will be sung in the Yugambeh language in honour of the late Lloyd McDermott,

7:07 PM BST Fullback Damian Willemse kicked a pressure penalty after the hooter to secure South Africa a 32-29 victory over ill-disciplined Wales in a see-saw test at a raucous Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Wing Louis Reece-Zammit crossed for two tries and Dewi Lakea got a third for the visitors, who took the world champions